1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to semiconductor infrared sensors, and to radiation sensors using the charge injection principle.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Extrinsic photoconductivity in silicon doped with group IV or group V impurities has been reported by a variety of workers, one of the earliest references is E. Burstein et al., Phys.Rev.89,331(1953). Extrinsic photoconductivity in germanium doped with various impurities has been reported as early as 1954 by E. Burstein et al., Phys.Rev. 93,65(1954) and an extensive article was published by Newman and Tyler in Solid State Physics, V.S. Academic Press 1959.
Radiation sensing devices for use singly or in arrays using metal oxide semiconductors have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,263, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Sensing Radiation and Providing Electrical Read Out," the invention of Gerald Michon and assigned to the Assignee of the present invention. Related patents are U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,057 of William E. Engeler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,531 of Michon et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,500 of Charles W. Eichelberg et al., all of which are assigned to the Assignee of the present invention. It has also been proposed to apply charge coupled radiation sensor devices to infrared sensing. Such an application is discussed in an article by Andrew J. Steckl, et al., entitled "Application of Charge-Coupled Devices to Infrared Detection and Imaging," appearing in the Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol., 63, No. 1, January 1975, pages 67-74. An accumulation mode charge coupled device is described in an article by Richard D. Nelson, entitled "Accumulation-Mode Charge-Coupled Device," appearing in Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 25, No. 10, 15 November 1975, pages 568-570.